Electric field detector with GPS

• US 6,788,215 B1
• Filed: 10/29/2002
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Isaac D. M.
• Primary Examiner(s): LA, ANH V
• Application Number:
  US10/282,828
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 340/662, 340/660, 340/657, 340/661, 340/658, 340/659, 340/663, 340/664, 340/573.1, 324/433, 324/457
• US Class Current: 340/657
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0857 Dosimetry, i.e. measuring the time integral of radiation intensity; Level warning devices for personal safety use nuclear radiation dosimetry G01T
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for sensing an electromagnetic field. A Global Positioning System (GPS) is disposed in a housing, and the GPS acquires global positioning system information describing a location of the apparatus. An electromagnetic sensor is also disposed in the housing and senses the electromagnetic field. An alarm couples to the electromagnetic sensor, the alarm produces an indication of at least one of i) the sensed electromagnetic field and ii) the location of the apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a Global Positioning System disposed in the housing, the Global Position System acquiring global positioning system information, the global positioning system information describing a location of the apparatus;

a database of global positioning system information for a telecommunications network, the database stored in a memory of the apparatus, the database of global positioning system information describing at least one of a cross-connect box, a terminal, a hand hole, a pole, a wire center, and a central office;

an electromagnetic sensor disposed in the housing, the electromagnetic sensor sensing an electromagnetic field;

means for comparing the global positioning system information of the apparatus with the global positioning system information for the telecommunications network;

an alarm coupled to the electromagnetic sensor and to the means for comparing, the alarm producing an indication of the sensed electromagnetic field, and when the global positioning system information of the apparatus matches the global positioning system information for the telecommunications network.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the alarm couples to the means for comparing, and the alarm produces the indication when the global positioning system information of the apparatus is within a predefined range of the global positioning system information for the telecommunications network.

3. A method, comprising:

receiving current global positioning system information, the global positioning system information describing a current location;

comparing the current global positioning system information to stored global positioning system information;

sensing an electromagnetic field in the vicinity of the current location;

activating an alarm when the current global positioning system information is within a predefined range of the stored global positioning system information; and

when the sensed electromagnetic field at least one of i) equals a threshold value and ii) exceeds the threshold value.